How to Install Windows 11 on an Older PC

Windows 11 has undoubtedly grabbed the attention of all Windows users this year. Even though it's not officially launching until October, many users are already planning to upgrade their devices to meet the Windows 11 minimum requirements. As per the detailed information provided by Microsoft, computers compatible with Windows 11 should have a TPM 2.0 chip and boot in UEFI mode. Transitioning the boot mode from BIOS to UEFI is straightforward; users simply need to convert the disk partition style from MBR to GPT and alter the boot mode in the BIOS settings. However, the requirement for a TPM 2.0 chip is more challenging to circumvent.

TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module, which is a chip that can be integrated into the PC's motherboard or added to the CPU separately. Its function is to safeguard sensitive data like encryption keys and user credentials, ensuring that malware and attackers cannot access or modify this information. The TPM 2.0 chip wasn't widely promoted until 2016, which means many older PCs don't have this chip.

# How to Check If Your Computer Has a TPM 2.0 Chip ## Windows 1. **Open the Start menu.** Click or press the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. 2. **Type tpm.msc into the search bar.** You'll find this in the bottom-left side of the Start window. 3. **Click tpm.msc.** This blue app icon is below the search bar. Doing so will open the TPM Management window. 4. **Look for "TPM version" near the top of the window.** It should be in the middle of the page. The number to the right of "TPM version" will indicate which version of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) your computer has, if any. To meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, you'll need a TPM version of 2.0 or higher. - If you don't see the TPM version listed, your computer might not have a TPM chip. 5. **Check the "Status" section.** It's below the TPM version. If it says "Ready," your TPM chip is functioning and ready to use. ## BIOS/UEFI 1. **Restart your computer.** This is the easiest way to access your computer's BIOS or UEFI. 2. **Press the key to open the boot menu.** This key varies depending on your computer: - Dell, HP, and Lenovo: F12 - Acer: F10 or F12 - Asus: F8 or Del - Apple: Press and hold the Option key immediately after restarting your computer - If you can't access the boot menu, restart your computer and try pressing the key repeatedly while it's starting up. 3. **Select "BIOS Setup" or "Enter Setup.** You may need to use the arrow keys to highlight the option and then press Enter. 4. **Find the "Security" tab.** This is usually represented by a padlock icon. 5. **Look for "Trusted Computing" or "TPM.** You may need to scroll down to find this option. 6. **Check if TPM is listed.** If you see "TPM" or "Trusted Platform Module," your computer has a TPM chip. If it's disabled, look for an option to enable it. 7. **Exit the BIOS/UEFI.** Press F10, then select "Yes" when prompted to save changes and exit. If you're still unsure about your computer's TPM capabilities, consult your computer manufacturer's website or contact their support for assistance.

How can you determine if your computer has a TPM 2.0 chip? You can utilize Windows's PC Health Check toolkit or a FREE tool - Windows 11 Update Checker to check if your device is eligible for upgrading to Windows 11.

How to Install Windows 11 on an Older Computer

Since older computers likely lack TPM 2.0 chips, users are concerned about how to install Windows 11 on their outdated PCs. Generally, there are two methods to bypass the TPM 2.0 requirement: modifying the Registry Editor and creating a portable Windows 11 USB drive. In the following sections, we will explain both approaches; please continue reading.

Method 1: How to Work Around the TPM 2.0 Requirement

Step 1. When you encounter the installation error "This PC can't run Windows 11," click the Back button in the Windows Setup dialog box, as shown below.

"This PC can't run Windows 11"

Step 2. Press Shift+F10 to open Command Prompt.

Step 3. In the Command Prompt window, type regedit and press Enter. This will open the Windows Registry window.

Step 3. Navigate to the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup. In that location, click on Edit > New > Key to create a new key named LabConfig.

< strong >Step 4. In the LabConfig, right-click in a blank area and select < strong >New, then < strong >DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 5. Name it BypassTPMCheck.

Step 6. Right-click on it and select the Modify… option to edit the DWORD Value.

Step 7. Assign it the value 00000001, then click OK.

Step 8. You now have two DWORD values within the LabConfig key.

Step 9. Now close both the Registry Editor and Command Prompt windows, and return to the installation process. Follow the installation wizard to complete the installation of Windows 11 on your computer.

Upon modifying the Registry Editor, if you're unsure about where to download Windows 11 ISO files, utilize Win11 Builder to download and install the latest Windows 11 for FREE.

Step 1. Launch OS2Go after installation, and click Windows Install Drive Creator. The system information is displayed on the home screen, which updates continually. Besides Windows 11, the Win11 builder also allows you to download Windows 10/8.1.

Step 2. Plug your USB flash drive into the computer. Win11 Builder will automatically detect your USB device, so simply click the Create button.

Step 3. If your USB drive is used, the software will clear its data. Once the downloading starts, wait for it to finish, or you can leave and do other tasks.

Step 4. Once the Windows 11 ISO image has been successfully downloaded onto the USB drive, begin installing Windows 11 on your computer by following the installation wizard step by step from the bootable USB drive.

Method 2: Create a Portable Windows 11 USB Drive

To create a portable Windows USB drive, you'll need a Windows 11 computer setup. You'll then need to clone the entire system drive to a USB drive. Once you've created this USB drive, you can take it with you anywhere and use it on any computer, whether it's a Windows PC or a Mac. For this, you'll need to utilize a third-party tool called OS2Go Tool.

Preparation:

• A setup Windows 11 computer.
• A spacious USB drive. (External hard drive, USB flash drive, or thunderbolt drive, etc.)
• OS2Go software downloaded and installed on the Windows 11 computer.

Now, you can download and install the OS2Go tool, and follow our guide on how to create a portable Windows 11 USB.

Step 1. Install OS2Go on your Windows computer, which will show the used space of your system drive. Insert a USB drive with a capacity larger than the system drive's used space. Select the target USB drive and click Next to proceed.

Step 2. OS2Go will warn you that the proceeding action will erase all data on your drive. Make sure you've backed up all important data. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 3. Adjust disk layout. The default disk layout on the target drive will be identical to the source drive. You can also customize the layout to suit your needs. Check the option provided if you're using an SSD as the Windows boot drive. Then, click Proceed.

Step 4. OS2Go will then begin creating the portable USB drive. This process may take some time, depending on your operating system and network conditions. Once the progress reaches 100%, the USB drive should be bootable.

Step 5. Insert the portable Windows USB and turn on your computer. Press the necessary key (F2, DEL, F10, etc.) to access the BIOS. Select to boot from the USB drive.

注意: 请确保便携式USB和目标计算机的启动模式（UEFI或Legacy）相同，否则可能无法启动。

Sum Up

In this article, we've discussed the primary obstacle to upgrading your old computer to Windows 11: the TPM 2.0 chip. You have two options: either modify the Registry Editor manually or create a portable Windows 11 USB drive. Both approaches can help you work around certain Windows restrictions, and each has its own benefits. For instance, after altering the Registry Editor, you can install Windows 11 on your computer permanently. On the other hand, with a Windows 11 portable drive, you can use the operating system wherever you go, simply by plugging in the USB stick.

希望您在阅读完这篇帖子后能解决您的问题。如果有任何问题，欢迎随时联系我们的支持团队：support@tools.com。